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How to start work in a professional kitchen

In just six weeks you can gain the skills needed to start a career in food. If you’re getting itchy feet in your current profession, a professional cookery course could be the key to making the switch.

Great British Chefs is a team of passionate food lovers dedicated to bringing you the latest food stories, news and reviews.

Many of us dream of giving up the boring office job and embracing the heat, action and thrill of a dinner service in a restaurant. Manning a section with countless pans on the go might sound like too much pressure, but for serious foodies it sounds enthralling. While many of us shrug it off as a pipedream, there are those with so much culinary passion that they give up the day job – whatever their age – and take the plunge. Before most kitchens will give you a chance, however, you need to get some sort of qualification under your belt.

Cookery School at Little Portland Street in London offers a course tailor-made to people wanting to make this life change. The intensive programme lasts for six weeks, Monday to Friday, and provides students with the fullest possible culinary training for knowledge that’ll last a lifetime. Whether you’re already a dab hand in the kitchen or a beginner looking to learn some new skills, you’ll leave with the skills needed to turn a passion for cooking into a profession.

Many of the recipes you’ll learn and cook at Cookery School have been handed down through the generations, giving the course a much more personal and friendly feel compared to the lengthier, more expensive chef training courses available. Each one will develop the fundamental skills needed to cook anything – once they’re mastered, the rest is easy. Because there are just twelve students in the classroom, there’s ample opportunity to ask questions and get one-on-one advice with the expert tutors.

Fancy making pastry like a pro? With a bit of expert help you'll be creating a restaurant-quality shortcrust in no time

Every aspect of professional cooking is covered, giving students everything needed to pursue a career in the kitchen

Just a few topics covered over the six weeks include:

Soups and stews

Pasta, risotto and gnocchi

Indian, Middle Eastern, Thai and other cuisines

Pastry

Breadmaking

Sauces

Knife skills

Preserving

Chocolate tempering

Gelatine, custards and mousses

As well as learning how to prepare and cook food, you’ll also be taught how to source the very best fish, meat and vegetables, and why cooking with the seasons is so important. The business side of things isn’t forgotten either; recipe sourcing, budgeting, catering planning and menu writing are all completely covered too.